Traffik (1989)

Synopsis: TRAFFIK is the 5 1/2 hour British miniseries that provided the basis for Stephen Soderbergh's Oscar winning film TRAFFIC, and its length provides it with an opportunity to delve more deeply into... TRAFFIK is the 5 1/2 hour British miniseries that provided the basis for Stephen Soderbergh's Oscar winning film TRAFFIC, and its length provides it with an opportunity to delve more deeply into the drug trade and addiction, making it a far more complete film than its Hollywood incarnation. TRAFFIK tells three stories; one is an exceptional look at the poppy fields and heroin cartels of Pakistan, where the beauty of the poppy fields is juxtaposed with the squalor of the slums inhabited by the workers who harvest the crop. Another takes place in England and stars Julia Ormond as the drug addicted 16 year-old daughter of British cabinet minister Jack Lithgow (Paterson) and depicts the depths of heroin addiction. The third stars Lindsay Duncan as the wife of a rich German drug smuggler who has just been busted, shattering the pretenses of her upper class life and driving her to continue her husband's trade. Finally, these three disparate stories are tied together by two German narcotics agents named Dieter and Ulli, who, along with a host of couriers, provide a very unnerving look at how heroin travels from Pakistan to Europe. Intricately detailed and emotionally devastating, TRAFFIK is a thoroughly engrossing miniseries that easily surpasses the excellence of its American cousin. Contains additional material not shown in the PBS Masterpiece Theatre broadcast. [More]

Starring: Jamal Shah, Julia Ormond, Talat Hussain, Bill Paterson

Starring: Jamal Shah, Julia Ormond, Talat Hussain, Bill Paterson, George Kukura, Lindsay Duncan

Director: Alastair Reid

Director: Alastair Reid
Screenwriter: Simon Moore
Producer: Brian Eastman

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